Sulfated oil



YNHTEDY STATES .No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK L. RANDEL, a citizen of the United'States, residing at New York, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sulfated Oils, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to sulfated oils; and it comprises a'method of producing materials of the nature of what is known as turkey-red oil or alizarin oil by the action of strong sulfuricacid on fatty oils wherein the mixture of oil and sulfuric acid is kept ata low temperature by the action of suction or vacuum, the lowering of temperature being advantageously aided by the addition of more or less volatile inert material, such as gasolene or benzol, to the reaction mixture; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed. c

On reacting upon various fatty oils with sulfuric acid at a low temperature compositions are produced containing the elements of the acid and of the oil, these compositions being sometimes called sulfonated oils and sometimes sulfated oils.. They are also known as soluble oils and greases. Ordinarily, castor oil is the oil employed and the product is then. known as turkey-red oil or alizarin oil. For this purpose castor oil has the advantage that its reaction with sulfuric acid is a fairly clean one; there is very little charring or oxidation at the expense of the acid if the temperature is kept at a reasonably low point, say, below 35 C. The price of castor-oil is, however, relatively high and it is one of the objects of the present invention to produce similar materials with the use of other and cheaper vegetable and animal oils, not generally used for this purpose. Most of these oils in contact with sulfuric acid, char, oxidize or discolor at temperatures at which castor oil gives a clean action. The action of the acid upon the oils is, relatively speaking, violent and is attended with development of heat. Since heat accelerates the action, if charr'ing or browning starts in at any point, it is apt to spread rapidly throughout the mass. Efi'orts have been made to obviate the effects of this development of heat to an extent allowing the use of cheap oils by special apparatus having water cooled stirrers, walls, etc.; but even with such apparatus, iflit is of any size, it is difiicult to prevent localized initiation of heat and charring' somewhere the material.

FRANK L. RANDEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SULFATED OIL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A 12 192 v 7 I Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,13G.

' in the mass. In sulfating these oils it is absolutely necessary that there be no opportunity for initiation of violent action.

The first or sulfating action of the acid on the 011 is attended with production of water (H 0) and this water reacts with excess of acid at the point of formation,'developing a high temperature.

In the present invention I obviate the effects of the development of heat and prevent any localization by the simple expedient of, performing the mixing operation. un der a vacuum or strong suction. In so dolng, water and other volatile bodies are evaporated with development of a cooling effect on the-entire mass.

case of the more delicate and sensitive oils and greases, by the expedient of adding inert volatile bodies, such as hydrocarbons, llke gasolene or benzol, or chlorinated materials such as carbon tetrachlorid, chloroform, chlorethylenes, ethylene chlorid, etc. Water itself may be added from time to time during the action. As it is promptly re-evaporated it does not permanently dilute Where these auxiliaries are employed they may be mixed with the oil prior to sulfating or may be added from time to time in accordance with the observed progress of the reaction. It often happens that it is not desirable to preserve the same temperature throughout the operation; it being, for example, often advantageous to start a little warm and finish at a lower tem perature. In so doing the use of auxiliary volatile coolers gives a desirable independence of action; cooling not depending on the development of volatiles by the sulfating reaction. As such an auxiliary volatile body low temperature even with oils or greases heating violently under the action of sulcarbon to the V employed.

furic acid. The greater the tendency for the development of heat in the mass, thegreater is the cooling. The whole mass, with efficient stirring apparatus, can be kept at substantially the same temperature wlth anyoil; a temperature which can be readily regulated by ad'usting the amount of hydroegree of vacuum or suction In practising the present invention I may use any of the ordinary cheap commercial fatty oils or oily fatty acids, such as cottonseed oil, cocoanut oil, palm oil, etc. The present process is applicable to the treatment of drying oils such as Chinese wood oil or tung oil, linseed oil, soy bean oil, etc., to fish oils, commercialoleic acid, degras, corn oil, vegetable and animal greases, tallow, etc. Animal or vegetable oils which have been subjected to hydrogenation, or the socalled hardening, are easily handled by the present process, these materials producing new substance of commercial possibilities. While many of these materials are Very sensitive to the action of sulfuric acid, readily charring or browning with it, I find that operatin under the present invention they are readily applicable to the production of ood, clean, light colored sulfated oils.

ven castor oil though readily sulfated in the usual ways, givesbetter products when treated under the present invention.

In one typical embodiment of the present invention I may mix four parts of ordinary cottonseed oil with six parts of strong sulfuric acid, the sulfuric acid being admitted in a slow stream'and the whole mass vigorously agitated. Prior to the operation the cottonseed oil maybe let down with say, 10 per cent. of gasolene or benzol. On applying suction the mass can be cooled down to any temperature'which may be desired,

- an auxiliary coolin say 20 to-30 C. Cocoanut oil and palm oil may be treated in exactly the same way. As the reaction proceeds more or less of the volatile auxiliary cooling agent may be admitted from time to time so that tem eratures are completely under control. ere I agent is used it must be a volatile body Inert as regards the reaction but it isimmaterial whether'it is or} is. not miscible with the reaction mixture. The products obtained under the present lnvention are chemically like the ordinary turkey red oils and soluble oils of commerce,

though better in color; but their particular character of course depends more or less on the particular oil used for sulfating. The process ermits the use of practically any. oily or atty matter. The various products find application in thetextile, paper, leather, paint, -artifi-cial leather, tanning, cutting oils, soap, printing ink, dry cleaning and laundry1ng,etc., industries. They are good components of paints, typewriter inks, emulsions, etc.

The process permits a marked economy in the amount of sulfuric acid necessary by reason of the automatic elimination of the water as fast as it is formed. In the ordinany processes of sulfating a large excessof aci is necessary to take up the Water formed in the reaction and preserve the needed strength of acid. Another important advantage of working under vacuumis the eliminationof the oxidizing influence of air; this being particularly desirable in working with drying or semi-drying oils.

'What I claim is 1. The process of making a sulfated oil which comprises mixing a fatty or oily material of fatty naturewith sulfuric acid under Vacuum producing conditions.

2. The process of making sulfated oily products which comprises mixing a fatty or oily material of fatty nature wlth sulfuric acid under vacuum conditions and in the presence of an inert volatile cooling body.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

FRANK L'. RANDEL; 

